Please, Call Me Loke
by icefire13
Summary: A short story telling how Loke's key came to be in Karen's possession and what happened thereafter, including Loke's attempts to stop Karen's treatment of Aries leading to her death. T for language, violence, and alcohol.
1. The Summons

**Yoyo it's Jojo again!**

**here is my second fic on the anime/manga Fairy Tail. I still have not finished all the episodes so no spoilers and sorry if there's any missing information. but there shouldn't be that much missing stuff because this is a story set in the past.**

**as stated in the summary, this is just a short story about one of my fav characters, Loke, and his experiences with Karen. there is no Loke/Karen, Loke/Aries, or Karen/Aries, so sorry if that's what you were looking for. no romance in this story.**

**without further ado, here's chapter 1. please r&r!**

Chapter 1: The Summons

When it happens, I can feel it. Like a tug in my stomach, a little voice in my head. _It's happened again._

I knew my master hadn't been doing so well as of late. He was old, and the bodies of the elderly are fragile and unreliable. I felt the break last night. The breaking of my contract with him, as happens when the keyholder passes through the veil that separates the living from the dead.

But now there is a new fire where his has died. A bright, young fire. My key has fallen into new hands.

An hour later, I hear the summons.

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!"

I have no choice but to comply. Whisked away in a whirl of light, I reappear in the human world, coattails flapping.

A woman stands before me, probably in her early twenties. She has pale green hair, which could almost be mistaken for blond, wearing an open feathered coat, a short purple skirt, and knee-high black boots. She'd be pretty, if not for the haughty look on her face.

"Leo the Lion." She walks around me, scrutinizing. "Not an entire flop, could be taller, more handsome. But clean, well-dressed. Acceptable enough."

I can't stop my eyebrow from twitching, but I do my best to hide my annoyance. Is this really my new master?

"May I ask how my key came to be in your possession?"

"Once the old geezer finally kicked the bucket," she laughs, "He gave all his keys to me, his granddaughter; the only other Celestial wizard in the family. Including your key, Leo."

"Please, call me Loke." I say, pushing up my glasses. She narrows her eyes.

"You are _Leo_, and as long as you are in my service, you will be called as such by me, by yourself, and by your fellow spirits, am I clear?"

"Crystal" I reply after a brief hesitation, "And I suppose you've called me here to make a contract." I follow her with my eyes as she walks another circle around me.

"Correct."

"I'm available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays." I tell her, but she shakes her head.

"No. I require you to be available at any time I need you. You must be on call at all times."

"I'm sorry, but I thought contracts were supposed to suit both the keyholder and the spirits."

She stops walking in circles around me. Instead, she walks up very close to me and places one of her long red fingernails lightly under my chin, tilting her head to the side. "Look at me, Leo," she whispers, "And listen closely. I am your master, am I not?" she doesn't wait for a reply. "And you are completely under my instruction. You are a tool, to be used by me when I have need of you, and nothing more. You will do as I say, you will not question me, understand?"

I reach up to take her hand away from my chin but she jams her fingernail under my jaw, creating a small red crescent. "I asked you if you understood, Leo."

"I…understand." I say through gritted teeth.

She smiles with false kindness, wiping her bloody fingernail on the shoulder of my suit. "Good."

"May I have the honor of knowing who I'm working for?" I ask. She steps back and looks at me for a moment, trying to decide whether I'm mocking her or not.

"Lilica." She finally says. "Karen Lilica of the Blue Pegasus Guild."

"It's a pleasure."

Again, she can't tell if I'm being sarcastic, which I am.

"Two Golden Gate keys." Karen mutters to herself, "Who knew the old geezer owned two? That makes three for me."

"Who are the others?" I ask.

"You and Aries the Ram I just received from the old geezer. Cancer the Crab I already had, though he's not good for much besides hair and makeup." She replies off-handedly.

_She has Cancer? _That's a surprise. I've never heard him talking about her – I just thought he was a free spirit. Then again, Cancer's mind flies to any woman like iron to a magnet, though in three seconds he leaves her behind for another passerby. He probably doesn't think she's anything special, personality aside. Really, he even tried to ask out Virgo once, stupid crab. He steers clear of pink-haired girls now, since he never knows whether it could be her in a different form.

Aries is a timid thing. I hate to imagine what Karen will think of her when she opens Aries's gate.

"Ugh, Aries." Karen murmurs as if following my thoughts. So they've already met. "Could barely say a word without whispering. She thinks she can pull her false modesty act on me but I'll bring out the iron in her." She also calls Aries a very rude word and a sick sort of smile spreads across her face before she notices that I'm looking at her in disgust.

"Why are you still here? Shoo, shoo. Go back to wherever it is you Celestial Spirits live. Close, Gate of the Lion, or whatever I'm supposed to say." She waves her hand dismissively in my direction and turns her back on me to saunter into her bedroom. I want to stay and work out the details of our contract, force her to promise not to harm any of her spirits – I hate to think what that sick grin means, but she's closed the Gate and I'm forced back to my own world, standing dejectedly where I was before she summoned me. My, what a wonderful next few years these will be, working for a master like that. I turn and walk away; I want to talk to Cancer.

**a short chapter (my first chapters are always shorter than the rest), but I hope you liked it! plz review!**

**~icefire out :3 **


	2. Talking (for lack of a better name)

**chapter 2...**

**It took forever for me to write this and it's only 1000 words _**

**I hope the next chapter will be longer and better and easier to write...plz r&r**

Chapter 2

"Karen? Yeah, what about her?" Cancer asks, fiddling with his scissors. We're at his place, sitting outside on the patio.

"I mean, what do you think of her?"

"Nice looks but a sharp tongue. You're too naïve for her, Loke."

"No! Not like _that_. I mean, how does she treat you? Honestly, do you think about nothing else?" I ask in exasperation.

He takes a moment to answer so I know he's serious.

"Karen…she sees us as tools. Beings without feelings of our own. I…I dunno Loke. I'm a carefree kinda guy; it doesn't bother me all that much, but you're more tightly strung. And Aries is so insecure. You can be sure Karen's gonna use that to her advantage. I dunno if a little girl like her can hold her own against someone like Karen…I just don't know." He shakes his head, and looks out towards the setting sun. I stand up and push my glasses up with my index and middle fingers as is a habit of mine, even when they aren't falling down.

"Well, thanks Cancer. It was nice talking to you. Life is gonna be hard with Karen. We'll just have to see…we'll just have to see."

"Ehhh. No problem, man." Cancer grins, "Drop by anytime – I always gotta beer in the cooler and a pair of scissors if you need a trim!"

"Soon." I promise. I've talked to Cancer, now I want Aries's side of the story.

….

I stand on the front steps to Aries's house after getting her address from Cancer and ring the bell. It's a small place in contrast to the crab's sprawling mansion, but it still takes a few moments for Aries to come to the door.

"Oh, hello Loke. Please come in." she whispers, opening the door. I step into her house, which smells a bit like wool (not an entirely unpleasant smell), and she leads me into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure, tea would be great. I wanted to talk to you about Karen, our new master." I sit down at her kitchen table and watch her closely. Sure enough, she flinches at the mention of Karen and her hand holding the teapot falters, spilling a few drops of tea on the countertop.

"Oh…her."

"What do you think of her?" I ask as she hands me the tea, blowing on it to cool it down.

"She seems…nice." Aries whispers unconvincingly.

"No she doesn't." I reply, "On the contrary, she seems more like the nasty type."

Aries' eyes widen. "You shouldn't say such things about our master, Loke!"

"I'll say whatever I want about her. I've only met her once but she's an awful woman."

Aries shifts uncomfortably. I can tell she doesn't feel right talking bad about her master. "Maybe she's just been through a lot lately and she'll be nicer next time."

"And that excuses her behavior?" I force Aries to look me in the eyes.

"No…it doesn't."

"She said some pretty nasty things about you and me both." I say. "You're one of my best friends, Aries. We've worked together for a long time – almost the whole career of Takoma, Karen's grandfather. I don't wanna see her being cruel to you. You've got to step it up and speak for yourself once in a while, okay?"

"Okay." She mumbles to her tea. We sit in silence for a moment before I stand up and walk myself out.

"Thanks for the tea, Aries. It was nice talking to you."

"You're welcome." She mumbles again. I leave her to stare at her tea.

Now that Karen's so confident, she'll be wanting to take a job. And that means she'll be opening gates and testing her new toys; me and Aries. Well, I don't plan on letting her abuse her magic. Then again, maybe Aries is right and she'll turn out to be nicer then she seems. But then I think about what Cancer said.

_Karen…she sees us as tools. Beings without feelings of our own._

And I touch the scab under my jaw where she stabbed me with her fingernail. It's starting to heal already after passing into the Celestial world where wounds heal faster but the memory remains. No, Karen is definitely not the gentle type.

As I walk through the streets towards my own place I look around at all the spirits in this particular city. Sagittarius and Orion seem to be having another archery contest – I can hear them screaming at each other from here.

"I HIT THE BULL'S EYE!"

"YOU DID NOT!"

"I DID SO!"

"IT'S AN ENTIRE HALF-MILLIMETER TO THE LEFT OF WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE! IT MAY AS WELL BE A MILE!"

"WELL YOURS IS FIVE-EIGHTHS OF A MILLIMETER DOWN FROM THE BULL'S EYE!"

"I WANT A REMATCH!"

Some minor Celestial spirit girls come up to me and I sign where they want me to sign.

"AIEEEE! Now I have all twelve of the Golden Gate spirits' signatures!" one squeals as they walked off.

"Really?" her friend looks impressed. "Even Aquarius? She spit on my paper and turned my pen to water when I tried to get hers."

A Pegasus flies overhead, delivering the mail as I get into the elevator and push the 15 for the penthouse – that's where I live. It may not be very big but I can see nearly the whole city on one side and the surrounding forest on the other. Somewhere in that forest is where Sagittarius and his centaur buddies live. Most of the rest of the Golden Gate spirits live somewhere in the city, though I don't know the exact addresses of all of them.

I head to the kitchen and wolf down a packet of goldfish – the only thing left in my pantry, then sit and watch the sun go down, thinking about the past few hours.

What an awful day. I flop down stomach-first on my bed, glasses askew, and before I know it I'm asleep.

**meeeow. I hope ya thought it was good enough to wait for the next chapter. please review!**

**~icefire (Pikaaa!)**


	3. In Like a Lamb

**Hallooo! chapter 3 starting in Aries POV. now we begin to see the more crazy and unstable side of Karen and why I rated this T for violence against little girls.**

**Trang Kwon: Thanks! I really like writing the backstories of characters who's background is not entirely covered so that's why I decided to write this story. :3**

**NoNickNeeded: Yes, I think that's probably the case with Loke's name being created after Karen but I wanted to make him Loke here because it showed his rebellious streak as Karen specifically told him ****_not_**** to go by Loke. to which, as you can see, he paid no heed.  
I actually hadn't planned to go as far as Cancer's transition, only to Karen's death and then an epilogue but now that you mention it...hmm. maybe I shall reconsider.**

**that also brings to mind that I may have lied - we ****_might maybe_**** see a ****_little _****AriesxLoke later on. this sort of relationship is certainly tempting...but no promises. yet.**

**anyway, on with the story.**

Chapter 3

**_Aries_**

"Oh!"

I feel a tight clench in my stomach. As if from far away, a voice calls me. "Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!"

It's _her_ voice and I feel my heart begin to pound even as it is dissolved into light and I'm transported into the human world. I remember what she said to me when we first met two weeks ago:

"Aries. What a…" she pauses to cock her head, pretending to search for the right word, "_cute_ little girl."

She inspects me, rubbing the wool of my crotched sweater between her long fingers. I stand stock-still.

"You made this?"

"Y-yes ma'am." I manage to squeak.

"It makes you look like a half-starved cow." She sneers and walks into the kitchen, returning with a pair of scissors in her hand. Before I know what's happening she rips through the back of my sweater and tears it off of me, exposing the pink tank-top that I wear underneath. She continues to cut through the material.

I can't help it. I feel my eyes filling with tears as I stare at the ribbons she's made of my sweater. It took me several months to get the pattern right. All that work for nothing. But I try to swallow down my tears – it will repair itself once we get back into the Celestial world. That is, if she'll let me take the scraps with me.

"Stop your sniveling, little girl." The woman snarls. Except she doesn't say _girl_, she says a different word. Which makes me cry even harder. I try in vain to make the tears flow backwards, back where they came from but they just keep rolling down my cheeks.

The woman steps forward and slaps me hard across the left side of my face. "I told you to stop your sniveling!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am." I whisper, wiping my eyes with the heel of my hand. Though my face stings from the blow, I manage to hold in all but three of my tears through the next few minutes.

"Ugh. You are such a drama queen." She stomps her foot in disgust and lights a cigarette. I cough and wave away the smoke, which is not helping with my efforts to stop crying at all. "Honestly, I hate girls like you who cry just to get attention. But I'll have use for you, little miss Aries. Make no mistake, I'll have use for you…" she smiles, and it's not a kind smile, then closes my Gate and I only just manage to gather up the scraps of my sweater before I reappear in my house where I was when she summoned me. It's not till Loke comes to speak with me that I realize she never told me her name or made a contract with me.

Now, she's called me for a second time. This time because she has need of me for a job.

I materialize just in time to feel something whip-like lash my face in the same spot Karen slapped me and I cry out in pain.

"Get up!" Karen, who I realize is standing behind me, unharmed, shoves me in the ribs with her booted foot and I get to my feet, looking around myself. We're in a grassy meadow, facing a man who's right arm is normal to the elbow, then it turns into a snaky purple rope. My face burns just looking at the rope and I realize my eyes are smarting from the pain.

The man raises his arm to strike me again and that's when I realize – Karen is using me as a shield.

The second strike lashes me from the top of my ribs to my hip and Karen frowns.

"Where did you get that?" she's talking about my sweater.

"The material…reforms after it enters the Celestial – ah!" another sting, this time across my legs and my knees buckle underneath me.

"You stupid, lazy sheep!" Karen screams, kicking me again, "Get up and fight back!" one of her kicks catches me hard in the ribs and I cough, winded for a moment.

"Get up, I say! Get up!"

Wearily, I try to stand but the man with the whip has turned his back on us, disgusted. I notice his arm is looking normal.

"Why did you quit?" Karen asks him.

"I will not battle with one who abuses her magic in such a manner." He replies, then turns to look at me. "I'm sorry, little ram. Truly sorry."

"How dare you!" Karen shrieks, shaking her fist, but he's already gone. This leaves me as the only other thing to take out her anger on.

"You! You made him say that, didn't you!" she hisses. I shake my head. I don't have that kind of magic.

"You're despicable! You stupid useless little brat!" I feel the boot against my ribs again.

"Please, ma'am," I gasp, "I didn't–"

"Shut up! Shut up!" she kicks me harder.

Finally, after what seems like hours, she stops. We both are panting, me gasping for air and coughing on the ground, she out of breath. Mercifully, I feel myself being pulled back to the Celestial world. Though how or why I don't… who cares, anyway? It's all fading to black.

**_Loke_**

I put my hand on Karen's shoulder as we both watch Aries dissolve into golden light.

"That's enough, Karen." I say. The quietness of my voice displays nothing of the anger I feel raging inside me. How dare she? How _dare_ she?

"What! Leo! How did you get here? I didn't close her gate and I didn't open yours!" she wheels around to face me, still breathing hard.

"I am the most powerful of the Zodiac spirits." My face is hard set as I look down at her. "I can open and close Gates on my own. More importantly, I can overrule _your_ commands of the Gates."

"But that's unheard of!" she exclaims. I look into her eyes, pupils still dilated. She's almost there. Bordering on crazy but hasn't crossed the line yet. "The last time – I closed your Gate and you went back!"

"You caught me off guard that time." I realize I'm pushing up my glasses again without thinking about it. "I can assure you, it won't happen again."

"Why are you here, Leo?" she whispers, searching for the answer on my face. I set my jaw and make my features as icy as I can.

"You will _not_ do that to her. Ever. Again. Do you understand me?" I ask in a low voice. It's all I can do to keep my voice from breaking as I think about Aries. Karen's eyes turn to slits.

"She's under _my_ command, as are you, Leo. I'll do what I want with her, and you can't stop me."

"We'll see about that." I say stonily, and I close my Gate.


	4. Out Like a Lion

**Again, I spent forever writing this chapter :P**

**I had planned for this story to be mostly in Loke's POV with maybe one Aries and one Karen POV**

**but...it's not turning out that way. oh well, please enjoy chapter 4!**

Chapter 4

**_Loke_**

I punch the wall as hard as I can, spreading cracks across the plaster where my fist hits it.

"Damn that woman! Damn her!"

"Loke…?" a small voice asks behind me. When I closed her Gate, I transported Aries to my place and now she lays sideways on the bed, weak and devoid of magic energy, though her wounds are slowly beginning to heal. The stripe on the back of her calves has already receded to a pink line. I risk a glance at her face and immediately wish I hadn't.

A huge purple welt stretches across the left side of her face, her eye swollen shut and an angry red line from her hairline to her chin where the whip hit directly. There's a streak of pink tank-top where it cut right through her sweater, whose threads are already beginning to weave together. I feel my eyes filming over with saltwater.

"I'm sorry." I whisper as a single tear meanders down the bridge of my nose and lands on the carpet. "I should've stopped her sooner. I should've taken your place! I should've – I don't know, done _something_!"

"No." she says quietly. The one blue eye that's still open gazes at me seriously from the bed. "That would only have made it worse. She hates the both of us and there's nothing we can do about it."

"I'll find something! There must be _something_ I can do to stop her!" I punch the wall again, but this time, the wall wins, staying intact while my pain blossoms in my knuckles.

"_No_." Aries repeats, louder this time. I turn and face her. "This isn't your fight, Loke. Let me handle this on my own."

Here's Aries, probably the kindest, most timid of the Zodiac spirits, laying on my bed with her face messed up, glaring at me and telling me with more steel than I thought she was capable of that I will not stop her master from beating her.

"But you have to – you can't –" I splutter.

"I can and I will!" she snaps, getting to her feet. She's able to crack open her left eye at this point after being in the Celestial world for a good thirty minutes. "You're Leo the Lion." She says, "You were created with courage in you. What am I? A lamb. But I will fight my own battles and I will handle them in the way that I want, whether you try to interfere or not!"

"So you're just going to let her abuse you like that?! Just to prove that you don't need help?!"

"If that's what it takes!" she turns her back and opens the door to storm out.

"You can't stop me from interfering. I won't let her do that to you again." I growl. She turns and glares back at me.

"No, I can't stop you. But I'll trust your honor instead."

**_Aries_**

I slam the door and my knees buckle beneath me, my momentary streak of courage having deserted me. I kneel on the floor between the elevator and Loke's front door, eyes wide, my breathing labored. Finally I stand up and walk into the elevator, pushing the G for ground floor.

Alone in the elevator, I again sink to my knees, bringing my hand up to my face. It hurts to touch it. I can't imagine what it looks like. And my sweater. Good old sweater. We've been through a lot together, haven't we? It's nearly completely intact once more, only waiting for the next time Karen decides to call on me.

_Damn_, I say in my head. I relish the feeling of power I get from such a word. I've never thought a bad word before, not even such a minor bad word like that. I say it again out loud.

"Damn"

_How am I supposed to go through that again? _I wince, touching my face again. _What was I thinking? _But it's too late to back out now. I've told Loke I'll handle it on my own, but who says _on my own_ doesn't include getting advice?

To be honest, the thought scares me. Then again, almost _everything_ scares me. (Particularly facing Karen again). I've heard stories but I've never met the woman. She's _waaaay_ out of my league – she probably wouldn't even consider spitting on me. But she's the only person I can think of that could help me with this sort of thing. Help me find my courage. And hold onto it this time.

I don't know where she lives

I don't know how to contact her

I don't know who has her address (but I bet Cancer might – he knows everything about everyone who's worth knowing anything about, plus a few more)

I don't even know if she's on vacation

Or where she goes when she does go on vacation.

But I need to find her and get her advice. Before my courage leaves for good.

**_Cancer_**

"Good luck" I shrug, handing Aries the address. At least, the most current address in my books. That woman moves around so much it's hardly even worth keeping her address. "Say hi to that babe for me." I grin at Aries, "And give her a wink from old Cancer."

"O-okay." Aries giggles nervously, a little weirded out by my flirtatious antics_._

_No doubt she's taken by my devilish looks and obvious charm. _I tease myself as I watch Aries walk away. I take a swig of beer and my mood turns more serious. _Karen, you're in for one Helluva mutiny one of these days. That little girl may seem like a fluffball of uncombed wool but she's a whole lot more._

"Karen didn't lie." I'm not surprised to hear Loke's voice behind me, "She did bring out the iron in Aries."

"The question is," I say without turning around, "How long till it gets rusty?"

"Cancer?" Loke says after a moment.

"Eh?"

"I think I need a shot of something."

I smile with my back turned to him. "Help yourself."

**so, who do you think Aries is going to see? I tried not to make it too obvious but idk whether I did or not...please review!**

**~icefire out**


	5. Punishment

**Well, NoNickNeeded, you were right on the money. I haven't gotten to Libra or Pisces yet, but Gemini is my fav Spirit so far (I think Mini is the girl but that's just my guess) besides Leo of course.**

**here's chappie 5, by far the longest yet in Aries & Karen POV.**

**i'm planning probably 2 chapters after this one. maybe 3 depending on how things work out.**

**and you know what I just realized? My timing is off. Karen was supposed to have died 3 yrs before Lucy saved Loke. that's approximately 2-ish yrs before Lucy joined Fairy Tail, at which point Layla was already dead, which means Karen couldn't have had Cancer b/c his contract should've been with Lucy at this point. oh well...i'll figure something out to explain this...maybe.**

Chapter 5

**_Aries_**

The Celestial Ocean. The largest body of saltwater in the Celestial World and here I stand at the edge of it, trailing my fingers through the tide as I wade into the cold water.

Once I'm up to my neck, I take a deep breath and plunge my head under, forcing my eyes open. The water is a clear blue as I swim forward for about a minute, finally coming to the undersea cliff that fades into blackness. This must be the one Cancer told me about.

I'm starting to run out of oxygen. I can hear my heart throbbing in my ears.

_Aquarius!_ I shout as loud as I can in my head. I try to say her name out loud but mostly it just sounds like "Blrb-bluurble-bluurb!"

Another thirty seconds pass and I'm starting to think I'll have to go back up for air when a tiny seahorse swims up to me, a bright spot of orange in the blue-tinted water.

The seahorse squeaks something that I can't understand and suddenly an air bubble pops up around my head. I take a grateful breath and then another. The seahorse squeaks some more and swims down towards the darkness below the drop-off. It turns back to look at me and I understand.

"Oh. You want me to follow you?"

The seahorse squeaks in confirmation and I follow it. About twelve feet down, I feel the pressure pushing on me from all sides. It's not uncomfortable, just…there.

At any rate, the seahorse stops in front of two door built right into the side of the cliff. Squeaking excitedly, it darts in and out of the handles and I tug on them. It takes an enormous amount of strength to open those doors – the water pressure from outside is pushing in on them, but finally I manage it, getting carried in by the rush of water that flows into the empty room and sending large air bubbles up to the surface. Amazingly, my oxygen bubble is still intact.

A loud gurgling noise fills my ears and the water level falls, getting sucked down the drain at the bottom of the room. Once I break the surface, my air bubble pops.

There's about two feet of water left on the floor when the drain stops gargling, the tiny seahorse happily squeaking and summersaulting. Two doors in the wall to the left of me slide open and I look up into Aquarius's face.

"Aries." Is all she says, though not in an unpleasant way. I have no idea how she knows who I am. Then again, all of the Golden Gate spirits are well-known. Maybe she's seen my face before.

"Hello, Aquarius." I say nervously, tucking my wet hair behind my ear. "I know it wasn't very nice of me to just barge in to your house – I'm very sorry about that."

"I see you've flooded my entrance room." Aquarius says dryly, looking up at the dripping ceiling. Then she sighs. "But, that's why I had the drain put in." she looks down at me again. "You sheep, always butting in, aren't you." There's the slightest touch of…_humor_ in her voice. I don't bother to correct her by saying that it's goats who are always butting in – not sheep.

"Come in. And do tell me what you mean by coming to see me. It's not often I get visitors. You're lucky my boyfriend isn't here right now or else I would've kicked you out without a second thought."

"Ha-ha." I laugh nervously.

"That wasn't a joke!" Aquarius glares at me over her shoulder as she leads me into another room, also floored with about two feet of water, which I find a bit hard to walk in. I swallow at her severe tone. Looking around, I can guess this is probably her living room. There's an uncomfortable-looking sofa made of seashells, several round windows displaying the ocean outside, and three enormous sea sponges which I take to be chairs, among other things.

"First," Aquarius says, sinking down onto a sea sponge, "You can tell me what the heck happened to your face."

I stand there for a moment, not sure where to start. Aquarius rolls her eyes. "Well, are you going to say anything or am I wasting my time?"

"I-um-well…it's mostly about my master." I say, perching on another sea sponge. "She…doesn't like me very much."

"And," the Water Bearer raises an eyebrow skeptically, "I care about this _why_?"

"She did this to my face." I touch my index finger to my face again. It still hurts. "I-I was hoping you might be able to help me on…standing up to her."

"Some people," Aquarius sighs, "are simply not meant to have a lot of spunk. And _sheep_, definitely were not created with the word 'spunk' in mind."

I feel the slightest twinge of hurt at the tone with which she pronounces '_sheep_'.

"However, much as I hate to admit, you have a good cause. I must say, finding a master that I actually _like_ is a very rare happening. Right now, I currently have a contract with an annoying blonde. Name's Lulu or something like that. At least she doesn't try anything like _that_." She gestures to my face, "If she did, there wouldn't be anything left of her but a greasy spot."

"Yeah…I was sort of hoping that you could maybe help me do something like that?" I venture.

"I'll get to that!" Aquarius roars. I shrink back. "Now, the first step is to be intimidating. Stand up straight, maybe wear something a little more showy, grow about three inches taller, and open your mouth when you speak; not like the mumble you've got going there. Let's see you try it. Say…I don't know…how about 'Back off!'"

I stand on my tiptoes, trying to be as tall as possible. "Back off." I say.

"Louder!"

"Back off!"

Louder!"

"Back off!"

"LOUDER!"

"BACK OFF!"

"That's more like it." Aquarius smirks, "Not promising but keep practicing."

The door which leads to the entrance room suddenly slides open and a gray and silver clad man steps through. Scorpio.

"Hiya baby." He flashes a smile at Aquarius, barely acknowledging me.

"Scorpiooo." She wraps her arms around his neck coyly. Already I can see that it would be pointless to stay so I take my leave, slipping out and up to the surface.

What a joke. It looks like I'm on my own for this one.

…**Ten months later**…

**_Karen_**

"Boys!" I slap a young man's wandering hand as we enter the Guild Hall, a herd of about a half-dozen guys trailing behind me. I take a seat by the bar and sip a glass of champagne that someone's left sitting around; how careless of them.

I flirt with the boys I've brought home – they deserve at least a little attention. When I'm tired of that I smile and unleash something to keep them occupied. I'm sure the little brat will enjoy being cornered by drunk men.

Once I've diverted their attention, I make my way to a corner of the room where a certain young man has been waiting.

"Hibiki-kun." I brush my lips against the corner of his mouth. I've enjoyed this one – he's just so gullible; as if there was anything real between us.

"Karen."

I can smell the champagne on my own breath as we kiss, and I know he can taste it on my lips, added to the other alcoholic flavors I've consumed in the past three hours.

It's another hour before the drunks have made their exit and Hibiki's gone off with his buddies, leaving Aries sitting on a chair in the corner and me on a barstool. At one in the morning, there are two other guild members hunched over a table and Bob behind the bar, washing wine glasses and cleaning up after everyone. I hand the fat man my empty champagne bottle – the last one for tonight. I know I'm going to have a _major _hangover tomorrow morning, but who cares? It was worth it.

"Karen." Bob purses his lips as he takes the bottle from me and tosses it into the recycling, rag in hand.

"What?" I ask. I don't have time to deal with a fat old clown. I see his eyes flick over to Aries in the corner; I haven't closed her gate yet. She's got her hands curled in her lap, big fat tears dripping onto her woolen sweater. Looking for pity – typical.

"You should treat your spirits with more respect." Bob reprimands me. I sigh in disgust.

"What. They're just tools. Nothing special like." I reply carelessly.

"They are living beings like you and I. They shed tears, they feel pain. They are not to be treated like animals."

"But they _are_ animals!" I throw my arms up, "_She's _a goddamn sheep!"

Bob sighs and shakes his head, retreating into a back room of the Guild Hall. "You have much to learn about your magic, Karen, if that's the way you see them."

Once Bob is gone I whirl on Aries. "You useless brat! You snitched, didn't you! You told him!"

"N-no ma'am I didn't!" she cries, putting her hands up in front of her face to deflect the blow that she deserves.

"Don't lie to me!" I strike her across the face, creating a red mark where I've slapped her.

"Please, ma'am I swear I –"

"Yes you did! You evil little witch!" I glare down at her. She's curled up into a ball, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. When I don't lash out at her again, she cracks her eyes open. I've thought of a better way to deal with this.

"Punishment." My eyes narrow and I tap my chin thoughtfully. "Real punishment. That's what you need for denying your master. Let's see what…say, seven days in the Human world will do to a Celestial Spirit. I've always wondered what would happen." I speculate. This will be interesting. Of course, there's always the possibility that Leo will decide to close her Gate, but he's been silent on the matter of Aries since that first day ten months ago…I guess he's finally learned his place. Smart man.

"Please…no. Please!" Aries begs. I enjoy the sense of power that this stupid sheep gives me.

"Yes. You will stay for seven days in this world. Then you may go back to your world. If you can make it till then…" I laugh, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her out of the Guild Hall.

**yes, you see what drunk Karen does to her spirits. you see if she had been sober, she would've realized that if 7 days were to kill Aries, it would deprive her of her 2nd most powerful spirit and lower her own potential, so I figured she had to have been drunk when she decided to punish Aries this way. ah well, stupid people are stupid...**

**~icefire out**


	6. The Church With a Half-Roof

**Chaaaaapter 6. there will be a 7 and 8 after this one. sorry for the long update...I was procrastinating.**

**NoNickNeeded: I think I have Cancer figured out but thanks for the suggestion anyway. c:**

**Going into what we already know - Loke is heading to the ruins this chapter. not my best writing and not the most exciting, but necessary nevertheless.**

Chapter 6

**_Loke_**

Four days. It's been four days since Aries was confined to the Human World. Her magic energy is dangerously low. Even I can sense it here in the Celestial World. I doubt she can hold out for three more whole days.

I hate to admit it but a tiny part of me, the curious feline part of me, wonders what _would_ happen if a Celestial Spirit were to die. Would they just be gone forever? Would they be reborn? Would they be…replaced? The Celestials are ancient. We've – I've been around for thousands of years. Since the first humans noticed the shape of a lion in the stars. Could it be possible that someone like me could just…cease to exist?

I berate myself for thinking such things. My best friend is close to death – whatever that may mean – and I can't sit around waiting to see what happens afterwards!

_For ten months I've watched you suffer. For ten months I've felt your pain as my own. And I've done it for you, Aries. Because you made me promise not to interfere. No more. I'm finished with that promise. I won't let you die because of some stupid drunk woman! I'm putting an end to this for good._

It's with relief that I close Aries's Gate and bring her back home. She's unconscious after losing so much of her life force, so I leave her to recover and open my own Gate, appearing behind Karen as I did the first time she mistreated Aries.

"Leo…" she growls, fists clenched. "Go back to your world. This is none of your concern."

"On the contrary," I glare back, "It is my every concern. Another day here would have killed her, as you well know."

"It is my place and my place alone to punish my Celestial Spirits as I see fit. Those are the rules of the contract between the keyholder and the spirits."

"There is no such rule." I correct her, "And if I remember correctly, we never made a proper contract.

"Fine." She sighs, "Whatever. You can have Sundays off if you really must. Deal?"

I don't argue with her. Now is not the time. "Deal. Now, on the issue of Aries…"

"Bring her back."

"No. You nearly killed her just now. There's no way I'll bring her back just so you can torment her more."

"You are now officially under my command! Do not disobey me!" she shrieks.

"I told you at the start that I wouldn't let you do that to her again, and I regret not following up on that." My eyes narrow to slits, "But believe me. This time will be different."

"Oh? How so?" she asks, unconvinced.

"Release Aries, Cancer and I from our contracts." I demand. Karen laughs.

"That's it? You think I'm just going to go along with you just like that? And I thought you were smart, Leo. Obviously, I was mistaken."

"Release us!" I growl through clenched teeth.

"And if I refuse?"

I turn and head towards the door. "I'll be waiting in the old ruins of the church. When you change your mind I'll go back. Until then you won't be able to open another Gate."

"You're bluffing! You can't do that!" she splutters, "You can't hold out for more than a week!"

"Watch me." I slam the door behind me but I can still hear her screaming through it.

"To Hell with you, Leo! I'll just wait until you're too weak to stay here and you have to close your Gate!"

I sigh and look up to the sky, half hoping for some sort of guidance because I'm not at all sure about this. I've never tried to stay in the Human World for more than a few hours before, and judging from the state Aries was in, it won't be easy.

But the clouds are silent as ever as I watch the first star winking near the horizon. Or maybe it's a planet. Yes, it looks more like Venus now that I think about it.

I've never noticed this before but I feel so…far away from home in the Human World. The stars are where I was born – the stars are where I belong.

I sit for a long time on the steps of the old church before going inside. The east wall is crumbling, leaving the roof only half-intact. Nevertheless, there's a sense of peace around this place that puts me more at ease.

I stand in front of the altar for a few minutes, and I consider praying to someone – anyone – as the humans do; right now feels like a good time to pray. But I am not human; these are not my customs.

Laying on one of the pews with only my jacket to battle the chilly October air, I fall asleep staring at the stars through the collapsed side of the roof, wishing more than anything that I was back home, away from this lonely world.

…

The first few days I could feel it sapping away my strength, eating up my magic energy. By the sixth day, I could barely stand. Now, on the tenth morning, it's not so bad. Kind of like there was a peak turning point while my body was adjusting to the Human World. That's not to say that I'm perfectly normal – I can tell it will be a long time before it doesn't feel like I'm carrying ten tons of lead on my back.

I turn as I hear the doors to the church burst open, already knowing who it will be. She came yesterday and the day before, and she'll be back tomorrow, I'm sure.

"You know the answer." I don't even have to ask.

"Leo, please!" Karen begs, "You can't do this to yourself!" she's chosen the false sympathy act this morning. Yesterday it was whining, the day before she tried forcefulness.

"Leo, you know I care about you…I'm sorry. I really am." She says, coming around to face me.

"If you are truly sorry, and if you truly care, you will release Aries, Cancer and I from our contracts." I reply curtly. I'm not interested in her condescending antics. Karen presses her lips together.

"But then I wouldn't get to see you three anymore."

"Damn right. I'd keep her as far away from you as possible."

"You'd leave me with one Silver Gate key to do my jobs with? I'd be the laughing stock of the guild." She pouts.

"It's what you deserve. If I had it my way, you'd be stripped of your magic and forced out of the guild."

"But that would kill me."

"Probably."

She glares at me from under that awful blue hat.

"Unless you've come to break contract, go away. You're not wanted here." I sigh, turning away. Karen waits for a moment before storming out for the third day in a row, failed yet again.

Once she's gone I lean on the altar, looking up at the stained glass window behind it. I don't know how long I can keep this up – I've already set a record after being in the Human World for ten days. But the real question is: Will Karen give in?

I sure as hell hope so. And soon.

**thx for reading, plz review! **

**next chapter Karen finally learns her lesson.**

**~icefire out**


	7. Here Lies Karen Lilica

**chapter 7 was definitely the most fun to write!**

**here's a little about Pavo; a silver gate spirit who appears in this chappie. I had great fun making her up:**

**Pavo the peacock is a real constellation - I looked it up. **

**she has long flat-cut black hair and blue-green eyes. she wears a blue and green kimono and peacock wings & tail. she never speaks, though she is capable of speaking. she's a bit like Aquarius with the "this is so stupid" about everything, but she does what her master wants, nevertheless. **

**now, the show must go on! plz r&r!**

Chapter 8

**_Karen_**

I sit at the bar in the Guild Hall, something I seem to be doing a lot lately. My eyes keep drifting towards the bulletin board in the center of the hall. One of Hibiki's buddies – Eve Tearm – is pulling an ad off the front side.

I sigh. Leo's been at the ruins for three months now. Honestly, his strength amazes me. One week in the Human World is thought to be fatal for a Celestial Spirit, but three months? And he's shown no sign of backing down.

I'm in debt already. I owe 70,000J for my rent, and _Sorcerer's Weekly_ hasn't done an interview with me in over six months so I get no money from them. The local café refused to hire me – as if I'd want to work there anyway, and Bob is wanting money to pay for all the alcohol I've been consuming recently.

I need a job.

But Leo won't budge.

Neither will I. I've thought about sucking it up and just promising not to pick on Aries for a while, but that won't solve the issue for good. No, I need to show Leo that he can't stop me. I _know_ I'm strong enough to open two Gates at once. I just have to _try_.

Walking over, I stand in front of the bulletin board. It feels good to take a job again. Looking around to make sure no one's watching, I close my eyes and jab my finger at the board – something I've done ever since I was a little girl and my grandfather asked me to choose his jobs for him. I tear off the paper I've chosen and take a closer look.

**HELP WANTED**

Job: Have you seen this woman? Demanding goods from our storekeepers. Powerful mage. Must be stopped; town is losing much-needed money.

Pay: 100,000J

Location: Town of Wallford

Please help!

There's a blurry picture of a woman with short white hair and slanted eyes at the bottom. I shrug. A battle sounds good – I'm in the mood.

I quickly pack a suitcase and leave the Guild, only telling Bob where I'm going because he stops me on the way out.

"Karen? Where are you going?" the fat old clown asks in confusion.

"I'm taking a job. Now get lost."

"But what about Leo?"

"How do you know about Leo?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"I know lots of things, Karen. I know everything that goes on in the Blue Pegasus Guild." Bob answers quietly.

"I can handle two Gates at once."

"May I ask which job you're taking?"

I thrust the paper at him. He reads over it quickly and his eyes widen when he sees the fuzzy picture at the bottom.

"You can't do this, Karen! This woman – she's a member of a Dark Guild, an extremely powerful wizard. I don't even know how this ad got to the bulletin board. It's too dangerous for anyone in our Guild. Except maybe The Trimens.

"I said I can handle it!" I snap, snatching the ad back. "_I'm_ the most powerful wizard in this Guild – not those jokers!" I'm out of the Guild Hall before Bob can call after me, seething as I head for the train station.

….

I snarl as I tramp through the woods, shaking a wandering vine that tries to snare my boot. When the shopkeeper in Wallford told me directions, he didn't say that reaching this woman would include a mile-long hike through the forest.

By the time I finally emerge into a clearing, I'm sweating and no longer in a good mood. Where is this lady anyway? I want to get this over with.

"If you're out there, come out and fight me already. I'm not in the mood to play hide and seek!" I tell the trees. I don't actually expect her to appear, but she does.

"Well, well. It seems we have a challenger."

Her voice is slippery, like a snake winding its way around my feet. A slender, petite woman, she wears a revealing V-cut dress, black leggings, and two feathery, wing-like adornments on her back. Her flat-cut hair is short and comes down to her jawline, and her indigo eyes match her voice perfectly. This is the kind of woman who can make you feel like a dirty maggot, no matter if you were a queen or an actual maggot. I scowl, hating her already.

"Blue Pegasus." She states, noticing my hat and my stamp. "It's been a long time since I battled someone of a proper Guild. You _did_ come for the job, didn't you?"

"I did." I reply, "And I really need that hundred thousand so let's make it quick."

"And so we shall." The woman agrees. "You can come out, dearie, let us see what information we can gather about our opponent."

It takes me a moment to realize that she's not speaking to me. Or is she?

I step out of the trees, which can't be because I'm standing right here. But someone who looks just like me does, right down to the third piercing in my left ear.

"A Celestial Mage." The other Karen says, "She is Karen Lilica of Blue Pegasus."

"A Celestial Mage?" the woman grins. "What keys does she have?"

"Aries the Ram, Cancer the Giant Crab, Leo the Lion, and Pavo the Peacock. But…the Gate of the Lion…it's open."

A look of confusion passes across my – I mean the other Karen's face. The woman laughs.

"You're going to battle me with one Gate already opened? Now, now. Let's be fair. Close dear Leo's Gate. No sneaky play, if you please."

"How did you know what keys I have?" I say, to avoid admitting that I can't close Leo's Gate.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've been quite impolite haven't I? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Angel Matsuno, a member of the Oracion Seis. But I suppose a novice like yourself wouldn't know who that is." She waves her hand dismissively, then puts her arm around other Karen.

"And _this_ is dear Gemini – yes, I'm a Celestial Wizard, too. Now then, let's begin, shall we? I don't believe you've closed Leo's Gate but no matter. If you want to attempt multiple summon, that's your problem. Playtime's over, my friends. Close, Gate of the Twins, Gemini."

"Open, Gate of the Giant Crab, Cancer!" I shout, pulling out Cancer's key. I feel the slightest twinge of nervousness as I open Cancer's Gate as I've never tried a Multiple Summon before, but he appears between me and Angel, scissors snapping.

I feel the drain on my magic energy, though. For a moment I'm overwhelmed by lightheadedness, but only for a moment.

"Ooh. I'm impressed." Angel coos, "You managed two Gates. But I'm afraid you won't get very far with Cancer. Open, Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!"

"Ehhh! Howzit goin' bro?!" Cancer grins.

"Long time no see, Big Shell!" Scorpio replies. My jaw drops.

"What the hell is this?!" I yell as Cancer and Scorpio perform some sort of slap-clap handshake.

"Too many people," Angel smirks, "Don't take the time to study the relationships of the Celestial Spirits. Cancer and Scorpio are best friends – they grew up together since they were created around the same time. They'd never fight each other."

"Cancer!" I snarl, "Pull yourself together! We're here on a job!"

"Sorry, babe." Cancer turns to look at me, "I can't fight my homie."

"Then at least go back and save me some energy." I growl. The two dissolve in light back to the Celestial World. I sigh. Cancer's out, I can't get at Leo, and Aries might still be recovering – I don't know how long it takes to convalesce in the Spirit World. That leaves one option.

"Open, Gate of the Peacock, Pavo!"

Again, opening Pavo's Gate drains my energy. I don't know if I can do that again.

Pavo is a pretty woman clad in – what do you expect – peacock attire. She's not really that powerful, but she's the best chance I have right now.

"Open, Gate of the Chisel, Caelum!" Angel responds, spinning a Silver key in her hand. "A Silver and a Silver. Let's see who's stronger."

"Take her out, Pavo." I scowl as Angel grips Caelum by the handle in laser form. Pavo says nothing – she never speaks – but flies forward, black hair flowing behind her, and brings her hand around, flaming with blue magic.

But Angel is faster, blasting Pavo right through the middle with Caelum's laser. Pavo's eyes open wide and she emits a little gasping noise as a giant hole opens in her torso, then dissolves into light.

"Well, well. I think that means you have one Key left." Angel smiles, "I don't know why you're not using Leo, but let's see what Aries is made of."

Crap. She's right. Aries is my only hope now. But a Gold Key can trump a Silver Key, can't it?

"Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!"

This time it happens almost like in slow motion. A magic circle appears at the end of Aries's Key, slowly growing bigger and bigger as my energy reserves grow smaller and smaller. Once it reaches a peak diameter, the magic circle sits there for a few moments, then winks out of existence. No Aries.

I sink down to my knees, Aries' key dropping out of my hand. Right now I just want to sleep. I'm tired. So tired. I fall onto my back, staring up at the blue sky through the falling leaves. It's a strange feeling that grows in my chest at this moment. Bittersweet. It takes me a moment to identify it as…remorse.

_I'm sorry._

"I'm sorry."

They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes.

My grandfather smiles down at me, showing me his Gate Keys. Closing my eyes and picking him a job as a little girl. Crying when he won't take me along. Then as a teen, learning Holder Magic with my only Key; the Gate of the Southern Cross, Crux, whom I eventually traded for Pavo. Joining Blue Pegasus, getting Cancer, losing one of my Silver Keys, the news of my grandfather's death, receiving Leo and Aries. And then the faces. Hibiki. Bob. The many beaten faces of Aries. Leo with anger smoldering in his eyes. Cancer with sadness in his.

And the last thing I see is Angel bringing Caelum in sword form down towards my chest.

**_Loke_**

The doors to the church are opened once more, this time by Bob, the Master of Karen's guild. He came to see me a few days ago to inform me that Karen had taken a job, much to my surprise. Now he walks forward and looks at me sadly.

"They found her in the woods." Is all he says.

"What do you mean '_They found her in the woods'_?!"

"She's dead, Leo. She tried to open too many Gates and her strength failed her, allowing the Dark Mage to finish her off."

"No!" I exclaim, "She can't – I didn't – I never meant for this to happen!" I felt the breaking of our contract but I had hoped it was that she had decided to release us. I reach up and feel that my face is wet. Why the hell am I _crying_? I hate this woman. She tormented Aries daily and was rude to the rest of us. So why do I feel grief?

"I know you didn't. None of us did." Bob hesitates. Then, "You know what this means don't you?"

"Yeah." I say hoarsely. "I can't go back."

"You're a nice boy, Leo. You don't deserve this."

"Yes I do. I've killed her. I'll accept my punishment." I whisper, looking down at the floor. Bob says nothing more, just makes his way out.

The next person who comes to see me is Cancer, which catches me a little by surprise. We sit on the steps leading up to the altar for a minute in silence before Cancer speaks.

"What're you gonna do, Loke?"

"I'll stay here, in this world. Maybe get a job. I'll learn what it's like to be human in the short time I have left."

"Hey, look on the bright side, buddy. You've drawn a new picture by lasting over three months." Cancer grins at me, "Who knows. Maybe you could last forever." Then his face turns serious. "Maybe if I'd just agreed to fight Scorpio…"

"No." I say, "This is my fault. You can't be expected to fight your best friend."

We talk some more for a few minutes before Cancer stands up. "I think I'll go back to my old master now – Lucy. She broke contract with me for…reasons. But I'm sure she'll be over it now. I'll see you again sometime, buddy. Say hi to all the hot girls you meet for me, okay?"

"Okay." I reply with a small smile. Cancer shoots me a wink and two hand-guns before heading back to the Celestial World. Back home.

_Nope_. I correct myself, also standing, _This is my home now. _

I'm gonna make a new life for myself.

**Two Months Later**

It's on a street corner that I run into her.

"Loke? Is that you?" she asks, looking up at me with those big blue eyes.

"Aries? Why are you here?" I ask in surprise.

"I was looking for you." She whispers, "I opened my own Gate – my master doesn't know I'm here."

I doubt that. Powerful mages can sense when one of their spirit's Gates are open. "How are you? Is she treating you well?"

"Well, at least she doesn't hit me every day." Aries doesn't meet my eyes. "Look, I-I just wanted to say thank you. For everything."

She hesitates for a moment, then stands up on her tiptoes and pecks me on the corner of the mouth. I feel my face reddening and her own cheeks are pink.

"Until we meet again."

She turns and walks away.

I look up at the sky as I often do, wishing I was back in the Celestial Spirit World, where I belong. But now I have a new home. With a Guild. A new family.

Fairy Tail.

**I really, really wanted to make this chapter end with Karen's death. but the last two sections were necessary so I had to put them in. next chapter is the epilogue and then we're done!**

**~icefire out**


	8. Epilogue

**So, originally I had, of course, planned to have the epilogue be when Lucy saves Loke and he goes back "home" so to speak. it was all going to be very touching.**

**but then I got to thinking; the moral of this story is supposed to be 'Don't treat your Spirits like tools.' so why not have an epilogue pertaining to this theme?**

**And I ended up with this, plz enjoy!:**

Epilogue

"Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini!"

We emerge gleefully into the Human World, ready for more fun. Taurus is waiting for us, axe at the ready. We grin mischievously and transform into the Lucy, knowing that he is quite lecherous.

"Come get some!" we wink seductively, wiggling our bottom, much to the Bull's delight. The Lucy scowls and closes Taurus's Gate before he can reach his goal, then bends over, out of breath.

"Out of energy already?" The Angel asks innocently, "How pathetic. Gemini, you may begin."

At the Angel's order, we consider starting with Caelum, but then discover a whip hanging on our belt. An excellent way to begin.

"Ha-ha!" We shout, striking the Lucy across the face. She crashes into the river with a muffled "Oomph."

A few more lashes with the whip and we grab ahold of Caelum, ready to take this to the next level as the Lucy struggles to her feet. The Angel is crying with mirth, greatly amused by this.

"You…are literally…bringing defeat upon yourself!" she giggles, slapping her leg. We take another swipe at the Lucy with Caelum in sword form. She tries to stand, but we beat her down again and again until she tries no more, laying bruised and battered with the water rushing over her legs and stomach. We smirk in triumph and hoist Caelum over our shoulder. The Angel has won again. Soon there will be new comrades to add to our numbers.

But the Lucy raises her head defiantly, glaring up at the Angel. We see a flicker of her thoughts, which we have ignored up until this point, but we can hear if we so wish. It is a fleeting thought, but it draws our attention. Is that really what we think it is?

"Release Aries from her contract." The Lucy glares. We grimace in confusion. Why would she ask this of our master?

"Release…? Aha! Aha-ha! You expect me to – for free?!" the Angel laughs, "Could you be any more stupid?"

"Aries…was tormented daily by Karen. Treated as a tool, a source of entertainment. And you have done the same. To _all _of your spirits." Her brown eyes flick over to Caelum and us, then back to the Angel.

We blink. A tool. We are not a tool. Yet our master treats us like a tool. This is what the Lucy says, and yet…when we think about it…we find that it is true.

"Aries and Loke, they deserve to be together for once. Friends shouldn't fight!" the Lucy exclaims, starting to regain her energy. "You can have anything! Anything you want in return…except my keys. Just release Aries!"

Even without taking her form, we can see the gears turning in the Angel's head, and a sly little smile spreads across her face.

"Very well. Anything I want, you say. Then the price will be your life. Finish her, Gemini."

The Lucy bows her head, waiting for the fatal blow.

We stand still for a moment, hesitating. We hear the thoughts in the Lucy's head clearly now, whether we want to or not.

_'Spirits are friends, not tools'._ That is her mother's voice. Layla

_'Miss Looosy.'_

_'Babe'_

_'True love has brought us together! The Lion and Lucy!'_

_'"It's too hot out there." She says grumpily.'_

_'Pluuue. Pluu.'_

_'Would you prefer that I call you Princess?'_

_'You stupid blonde! I told you not to drop my key!'_

_'Crux, can you look up something for me?'_

_'I'll play a song for you.'_

_'I'm trying not to shoot, Miss Lucy, but she has complete control over me!'_

_'No! It wasn't his fault Karen died! Please, you have to forgive him! Shut up, Loke. I _will_ do this, I don't care if it kills me!'_

_'All of my friends that came forward just now, they feel the same way I do.'_

_Friends_. All of my _friends_. Caelum crashes into the river, and our eyes open wide.

"She…cares for us. She would give her life for us. She…loves us." We turn to look at our master, who has never loved us. We look into those cruel indigo eyes, while tears fill our own. "We…envy her spirits." We whisper.

Several emotions pass across the Angel's face at this moment, with anger predominating.

"Close, Gate of the Twins."

We are forced back into the Celestial World, where we can still hear the Angel hissing at our Key.

"You'll pay for that later, useless brats!"

We hover in the air, still able to sense what is happening between the Angel and the Lucy. It is not anger, nor self-pity that weighs in our hearts now, only sadness.

If only the Angel could see the error of her ways. If only she would listen to Miss Lucy…if only.

But, alas, we fear that the Angel is too strong. The Lucy's power is no match for hers – we felt it when we took her form. The Lucy was doomed from the start.

And so we say goodbye to the life that might have been.

Until our contract is broken and our Key falls into new hands.

**it was really fun writing in Gemini's POV. idk but I thought it would add to the...alien-like persona if Gemini referred to humans as: the (Name).**

**anyway, many, many thanks to everyone who read this story, followed, favorited, or reviewed, in particular NoNickNeeded. Un millón de gracias, mis amigos!**

**~icefire out. **


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